‘We must not take our prosperity for granted’
Reading time: 2 minutes
For a year now, she's been at the helm of the container business team at the Port of Rotterdam Authority and loving every minute of it: Hanna Stelzel is committed to creating a seamless supply chain and raising awareness about the prosperity that containers bring us every single day. ‘We can’t take anything for granted.’
When asked who she is, Hanna immediately gives a very personal answer. ‘First and foremost, I am a loving mum. I put my whole heart into being a mother.’ And at the same time, she describes herself as highly career oriented. ‘I embrace contradictions. I’m a firm believer that family and work can be successfully combined, and I’m incredibly grateful that this is possible in the Netherlands. That’s definitely not the case everywhere.’ She speaks from experience, having grown up in southern Germany before moving to Rotterdam for love. ‘I come from a more traditional and conservative region,’ she explains. When Hanna was pregnant, her mother asked what she was going to choose: motherhood or her career. ‘I think that’s a very important subject. In the Netherlands, it’s far more common to combine the two. I still receive the occasional snide remark, and there is certainly more to be done in terms of equal opportunities, but we're definitely a big step ahead here.’
MAKING WAVES
In this series, you'll hear from people who are committed to a smart and sustainable port of Rotterdam, and our planet as a whole. Let them inspire you and help make that a reality.
